D/C HIKES U.S. MODEL PRICES 0.4%

DETROIT - DaimlerChrysler said it will hold price increases on its U.S.-badged 2000 models to an average of $108, or 0.4 percent, on a comparably equipped basis.

For 2000, the company made various items standard that were optional on 1999 models. It also reduced prices on some option packages, said DaimlerChrysler spokesman Rick Deneau.

For example, sunscreen glass is standard on the 2000 Dodge Caravan. Deneau said most buyers of 1999 Caravans selected that $450 option.

On the 1999 Dodge Grand Caravan ES and Chrysler Town & Country minivans, most buyers opted for rear heating and air conditioning and the quad-seat option. So for 2000, DaimlerChrysler reduced that option package to $185 from $1,185.

DaimlerChrysler said this is the third consecutive year that its price increase on U.S.-badged models has been less than 1 percent at model-introduction time.

However, the company raises prices during the model year. Last year, for example, the then Chrysler Corp. said the intro boost averaged $35, or 0.1 percent. Later in the model year, prices went up an average of $258, making the overall increase on 1999 models $293, or 1.3 percent, according to an Automotive News analysis.